OLYMPIC high jump champion Gianmarco Tamberi has been rushed to hospital hours before he bids to defend his title this evening.
It’s the second time the Italian, 32, has been taken to the emergency room in Paris after coughing up blood with a kidney problem.
His preparations for the 2024 Olympics were thrown into chaos as a pain in his side saw him rushed to hospital last Sunday.
And now Tamberi has been evaluated by paramedics again after suffering with acute renal colic.
This means he has all-but ruled out any further participation in his bid to defend his joint-Olympic title.
Tamberi, the defending champion alongside Mutaz Essa Barshim, is still scheduled to compete in the men’s high jump final on Saturday.
He wrote on Instagram: “It’s all over. Last night at 5 I woke up because of the same excruciating pain as a few days ago.
“Five hours have passed and the pain still hasn’t gone away. I’m speechless, I’m truly sorry to death.
“Will I still go on the platform tonight? Yes, but I really don’t know how I’ll be able to jump in these conditions.”
He confirmed that the discomfort was caused by renal colic, which occurs when a kidney stone blocks the tube connecting the kidneys to the bladder.
At Tokyo 2020, high jumpers Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Essa Barshim, who shared an epic gold medal, will face each other today at #Paris2024
— Global Sports News (@xForSports) August 7, 2024#Olympics pic.twitter.com/Y1D1KcSWe0
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Tamberi had only been released a few days prior to the high jump qualifying, where he failed his three attempts at 2.27 metres.
Despite this, he still managed to finish among the top 12 to qualify for the final.
Tamberi made history in Tokyo 2020 when he and Qatari athlete Mutaz Barshim shared gold in the men’s high-jump.
The pair warmed the hearts of viewers after they learned that they could both be crowned champions.
But it is fair to say that Tamberi has been a victim of horrible luck during his summer in the French capital.
While he was honoured to be on flag bearing duties for Italy, he lost his wedding ring in the River Seine during the opening ceremony.
The 32-year-old issued a grovelling apology to his wife Chiara Bontempi Tamberi for dropping his martial band in the murky river.
At the time, he wrote on Instagram: “I’m sorry my love. Too much water, too many kilos lost in the last few months or maybe the irrepressible enthusiasm of what we were doing.”
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